CHENNAI: The State Government is to establish hi-tech weaving parks at Erode, Madurai and Kumarapalayam and it has approached the Central Government for getting an assistance of Rs. 300 crore under the integrated textile park scheme.

Handlooms Minister N.K.K.P. Raja announced this in the Assembly on Saturday, while replying to a debate on demands pertaining to his Ministry.

As cluster approach was found to be the most appropriate module to attain the economy of scale and to compete in the international market, the Government had decided to implement the Centrally-sponsored integrated handloom cluster development programme in Tiruchi, Tiruvannamalai and Kurinjipadi at a cost of Rs. 2 crore for each cluster.

Under the programme, basic infrastructure for weaving would be created to ensure continuous employment for handloom weavers and to improve their overall socio-economic status. The Minister said to increase the sale of handloom products, it had been proposed to conduct district-level events/exhibitions at 30 places during the current financial year with the assistance of the Central Government. Besides this, one special handloom expo and one national handloom expo would also be conducted.

It had also been planned to organise mega exhibitions to liquidate the huge stock of silk varieties in various silk weavers cooperative societies, besides allowing special discounts.

It was also proposed to develop 500 new designs in coordination with the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad, for introducing the same in weavers cooperative societies at a cost of 25 lakh. A market survey would be conducted through a professional agency to explore the possibility of marketing silk products. To upgrade the skill of weavers/designers engaged in the handloom industry and to improve the skill of managers of the societies, training would be imparted to 1200 persons in the current year.

To protect traditional handloom varieties such as Salem and Arani silks, and Kovai Kora cotton, the Minister said it had been decided to register them under Geographical Indications Act. Already Kancheepuram silk sarees, Bhavani "jamakkalam" and Madurai Sungudi sarees had been registered under the Act. Handloom mark, introduced by the Central Government to enable people to know genuine handloom varieties, would be introduced in the State.

Identity cards would be issued to all handloom weavers under the cooperative sector to enable them to get the benefits being given to weavers by the Government.

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